Domestic Flights In India: ‘Domestic flights in India most packed globally in CY 2024:’ IATA | India News

NEW DELHI: Domestic flights in India were the most packed globally last year, according to International Air Transport Association (IATA). Flights within India flew 86.4% full, followed by domestic flights of the US and China at 84.1% and 83.2%, respectively. The overall global average passenger load factor (PLF or how many seats get sold on a flight) was 84%.
At 16.3 crore, India saw its highest ever domestic air travellers last year. This happened among continuing supply chain constraints that led to slowed than expected aircraft deliveries from both Airbus and Boeing along with the large number of IndiGo A320 family planes grounded for a long time due to Pratt & Whitney engine issues. As a result, the aircraft went packed.
Among other big aviation markets, Australia, Brazil and Japan saw domestic PLF at 81.8%, 81.9% and 78%, respectively.
“Domestic full-year demand reached record highs for passenger numbers and load factors. The standout performer for 2024 domestic RPK (revenue passenger km) was once again China, which increased 12.3% over 2023. There was stable growth across other major domestic markets. Japan achieved 3.2% growth while capacity contracted by 0.3%. Only India had a fall in load factor (-0.6%), but still achieved a load factor of 86.4%—the highest among all domestic markets.” IATA said. RPK is a measure of the number of passengers carried by an airline and the distance they travel, a key metric for assessing airline performance and demand.
Total full-year traffic in 2024 (measured in RPKs) rose 10.4% compared to 2023. This was 3.8% above pre-pandemic (2019) levels. “The overall load factor reached 83.5%, a record for full-year traffic. International full-year traffic in 2024 increased 13.6% compared to 2023, and capacity rose 12.8%. Domestic full-year traffic for 2024 rose 5.7% compared to the prior year, while capacity expanded by 2.5%,” IATA said in a statement.
“2024 made it absolutely clear that people want to travel. With 10.4% demand growth, travel reached record numbers domestically and internationally. Airlines met that strong demand with record efficiency. On average, 83.5% of all seats on offer were filled—a new record high, partially attributable to the supply chain constraints that limited capacity growth. Aviation growth reverberates across societies and economies at all levels through jobs, market development, trade, innovation, exploration, and much more,” said IATA DG Willie Walsh.